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Exploring the Right to Food Advocacy Landscape in the United States
Get PDFThe National Right to Food (RtF) Community of Practice (CoP) is a membership-based national coalition of advocates and organizations working to advance the RtF in our cities, towns, and states. This research project sought to understand (1) how a membership based organization like the CoP grows into a social movement defined by the visions and needs of its participants, and (2) what the added value is of weaving together existing local and state efforts into a national movement. Through surveys (n= 54) and interviews (n=20) of CoP members, this research sought to understand individual perceptions of RtF principles, and food and nutrition challenges local organizations are working to overcome in different parts of the United States. Large agreement was found across CoP membership about what the most salient RtF issues are in the United States currently. Spatial patterns in CoP membership were also analyzed, with the Northeast and West having large concentrations of organizations, while the Southeast and Great Plains have far fewer members.
In an effort to complement the CoP’s organizing efforts, outcomes of this research included two key elements. (1) the design of a map dashboard of CoP members to be used as a tool for members and other RtF stakeholders seeking to connect to this movement. (2) a report submitted to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review about Right to Food violations in the United States and recommendations for realizing everyone’s right to political agency in shaping available, accessible, adequate and sustainable food in their communities
Stories of Hope: An Environmental Justice Analysis of the Past, Present, and Future Direction for Buckhannon and Tygart Valley River
Get PDFThis project was conducted out of the WVU Center for Resilient Communities in partnership with local non-profits Save The Tygart Watershed Association and Buckhannon River Watershed Association. This research focuses on the impacts of industrialization and water contamination on the health and well-being of communities in the Tygart Valley Watershed. The Tygart Valley Watershed, like all other watersheds, is an incredibly important natural system that influences not only water quality and ecosystem health, but also the community within it. Encompassing rivers such as the Tygart Valley and Buckhannon, this watershed is no stranger to contamination and other challenges. Even so, there are still stories of hope, resilience, and prosperity to be found. This study aims to seek out these stories of hope through a historical analysis of newspaper archives, water quality monitoring, community mapping exercises, and gathering community perspectives of the watershed. By assessing the watershed with a holistic approach, this work aims to understand the potential of the newly designated water trail that runs along both the Buckhannon and Tygart Valley River
An International Prosecutor as U.S. Special Counsel
No full textThe appointment of Jack Smith to investigate then-former President Donald Trump brought to the fore the essential qualities for special counsels who act when a conflict of interest precludes investigation by the Department of Justice. Most attention on Smith centered on his domestic work and its correlation with a special counsel’s responsibilities. That emphasis, however, obscured the most salient line on his resume: international investigator and prosecutor. The conclusion of Smith’s tenure as special counsel following the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president provides an opportunity to consider the skills and qualifications that matter most in a special counsel, particularly where an investigation will stress the rule of law.
This Article argues that a prosecutor with international criminal justice expertise (an “international prosecutor”) is the best choice for special counsel when the rule of law is at stake. Vindicating and restoring the rule of law is the sine qua non of an international prosecutor’s duty. Fulfilling that duty often demands that international prosecutors investigate and prosecute the highest government officials, including heads of state, while also confronting continued attacks on the legitimacy of the prosecution, the administration of justice, and the witnesses who testify. No domestic lawyering has quite the same resonance.
In light of the uncertainty regarding the future of the special counsel role, this Article offers concrete suggestions for the specific qualifications of those holding the special counsel position, particularly when the rule of law is under attack
Microwave-assisted Reduction of Critical Metal Oxides from E-Waste Mixture
No full textThe efficient recovery of critical metals such as tantalum (Ta), manganese (Mn), gallium (Ga), and indium (In) from electronic waste (e-waste) is essential for resource sustainability and environmental protection. This research uses microwave-assisted treatment to investigate the carbothermal reduction of these four specific metals from their oxides in a simulated e-waste mixture, with carbon black serving as both a microwave coupling and reduction agent. Microwave processing is used specifically because it offers a rapid and energy-efficient alternative to conventional thermal methods, with the benefits of intrinsic heating and selective heating of materials. The first experiments centered on understanding the effects of carbon weight and packing density on the heating rate and maximum achievable temperature under a variable microwave input power. It was found that the carbon black used was highly efficient as a heating agent when in powder form as opposed to a pellet, demonstrating a 45% increase in temperature achieved. The carbon powder also heated 6 times quicker than pellets and had an 80% energy conversion rate when input power was increased, proving it to be an effective internal heating source for the experiments. Once the microwave coupling of carbon black was characterized, the carbon powder was mixed with the individual target oxides at various loadings and heated up to the specific reduction temperatures that were priorly established using a designed Ellingham diagram. The products of the reactions were analyzed using XRD analysis to determine the reduction efficiency and product composition. In the final phase, oxides were combined with carbon powder in stages: first, a binary mixture of Ta and Mn oxides representing tantalum capacitors, and second, a complex blend of all four oxides, simulating typical e-waste composition. The experimental matrix for the final phase consisted of staged heating and time holds at reduction temperatures. The results demonstrated that the metal oxides reduce to lower forms that include carbides, lower valence oxides and pure metals, though challenges such as hot-spot formation, temperature measurement accuracy, and atmospheric control were noted for further optimization. In conclusion, this thesis offers a comprehensive investigation into the microwave assisted carbothermal reduction of critical metal oxides derived from e-waste. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction for recovering these metals in the form of lower oxides, carbides, alloys, or pure metals. By recovering these valuable metals, this approach contributes significantly to a more circular economy and reduces reliance on primary resource extraction
Characterization of Lipids in Tenebrio molitor Larvae and Pupae Under Various Extraction Methods
No full textTenebrio molitor, or the yellow mealworm is an edible insect widely recognized and consumed for its rich nutritional value. Mealworms are known for their flexible nature of adapting to various environmental conditions and being able to thrive under harsh conditions and low-value wastes. In this paper, our main goal was to investigate the mealworm’s ability to grow and develop while being reared on apple pomace, the biowaste from apple production, and the effect it would have on its nutritional value specifically its lipid profile. Then these reared insects were used for oil extraction and analyzing their fatty acid profiles. Results show that mealworms were able to thrive on apple pomace and had enhanced lipid profiles supporting our initial hypotheses. Furthermore, the mealworm’s anatomy was investigated, and a method of mechanical pressing was developed in order to obtain crude extracts without solvent or enzymatic pre-treatments and with minor physical pre-treatments. Mealworm crude extracts, from pupae and larvae under temperatures of 2 ℃ and 45 ℃, were shown to be rich in protein and fats. Suggesting that this mechanical, low-cost, timesaving, extraction method could be an efficient way of nutrient extraction in mass production of mealworms and the utilization of its components in food processing
Fabrication and Characterization of Cast Copper Heatsinks for Computer Chip Cooling
No full textHumanity has worked copper for millennia, from primitive tools in prehistory to the wires and cooling solutions facilitating the modern digital age. While high performance fin style heatsinks are commonplace, more complex heatsink geometries in high performance applications are rare due to manufacturing challenges. In this study a casting process was developed to fabricate copper pin fin heatsinks. To assess the performance of heatsinks fabricated using the process three pin fin heatsinks were fabricated, one machined from a commercially manufactured billet, one machined from a cast block, and one cast directly to final shape. Each of the three heatsinks were geometrically identical, featuring 30 staggered pin fins, 3.5 mm in diameter and 5 mm long, within a 32 mm by 44 mm rectangular heat transfer surface. The total surface area exposed to the working fluid was approximately 3,000 mm2, while without the pins the surface area would be approximately 1,400 mm2. The effect of the 30 pin fins on heat transfer was examined by comparing the performance of these three heatsinks with a fourth heatsink featuring a flat heat transfer surface with no fins machined from a billet. The heat transfer performance of all four heatsinks was experimentally measured using a purpose built testbench developed to quantify how the casting fabrication process affects heat transfer performance. The results of testing were repeatable for each heatsink with clear performance differentials between each heatsink tested. It was found that a machined surface finish rather than the cast surface finish characteristic of the process developed as part of this research resulted in a 2% improvement in heat transfer while the heatsink machined from billet transferred 11% more heat than a heatsink cast directly to final shape. To test the limits of the casting process several more complex geometries were fabricated including a heatsink featuring 1,105 cylindrical fin pins, 1.0 mm in diameter and 7.5 mm in length within a 60 mm by 60 mm region. The total surface area exposed to the working fluid was approximately 29,000 mm2, while without the pins the surface area would be approximately 3,600 mm2. The geometric flexibility and production rate made possible by this fabrication technique allows for the mass production of heatsink designs currently restricted to high cost, low volume manufacturing technologies